What do an American cowboy and a former KGB agent have in common? Both believe they are above the law and international norms and diplomacy. Both think they can hide behind a veil of secrecy to achieve political aims, and take what they believe they are entitled to. Today, we have a term for such men: bullies. Yes, Vlad and George are international bullies intent on having their own way regardless of the cost to others. Both have cronies and sycophantic friends that tell them how great they are, or how marvelous they are handled international matters.
Yes, George W. Bush and his administration paved the way for Vladimir Putin of Russia to instigate a proxy war in Ukraine. Both politicians did so to divert attention from the failings of his government's policies and his nation's economy. And why not? It was not patriotism that led George W. Bush to irresponsibly commit American "boots on the ground" in his invasion of Iraq. Let's not be coy here. Bush and his pal, Cheney both thought there was a ready made store of oil exports to fuel our suffocating fossil fuel based economy. Nobody with any common sense who bothered to pay attention to their pattern of behavior would believe otherwise. The political right in America can cry foul all it wants, but the facts remain as they are: George W. Bush lied to the American public to implicate Iraq in 9/11, and what is worse, is that our Congress allowed this American bully to have his own way-even after they found out the truth. Instead of impeaching this miscreant, Congress allowed the war to go on at great cost to the people of both sides.
The Russian Duma has an opportunity to impeach Putin and have him tried for war crimes for what he has clearly instigated, and for his culpability in the downing of the Malaysian passenger jet. Neither man can deny his role in instigating the troubles the Middle East and Ukraine are now experiencing. Both should be impeached and tried before a criminal court in the Hague for crimes against humanity. Both administrations: Russian and American, of these so-called leaders should be brought to book for increasing instability and world tensions.
The only way for the world to cease its constant stream of terrorist activities, its starvation of women and children, it inexcusable barbaric behavior is to begin with indicting these men, followed by those who hide behind religion, or autocratic regimes. If we don't show our children responsible behavior now, our children and their children's children will be doomed to self-annihilation.
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Friday, July 4, 2014
The Fabric of America
The fabric of America is woven from the thread of its citizens. The men and women of America have toiled long and hard to maintain this fabric. Thousands have spilled their blood and sacrificed their lives so that the future for their offspring is one worthy of their sacrifice. At one time in this fair republic, July 4th was the paramount holiday observed by the nation. July 4th is the birthday of our nation. It was celebrated long before all other holidays were nationalized. It should be celebrated by all Americans in a manner fit to reflect those sacrifices of our forebears; not just with fireworks. July 4th is not a religious holiday, it is a secular national one. Religious holidays are the concern of those of a particular belief system, and should be observed by those given over to particular religious beliefs; insuring the concept that religion is a personal compact between an individual and his or her version of God. This simple concept assures the separation of church and state.
During the early decades of the 19th century, textile mill towns such as Lowell, Massachusetts attempted to become utopian, industrially-driven societies centered about mill factories. Factory owners considered themselves benevolent controllers of both industry and society. But once these mill societies were established, the women drawn from rural homes to these industrial towns found the owners to be far less than benevolent. They soon rejected the subservient role the owners placed them in. To end or to affect meaningful changes to this situation, the women resorted to strikes at first, and then through political actions protested both working conditions and employer policies. Oftentimes, these brave women were brutally countered.
As the nation progressed, it went through social changes-some peacefully attained; others through violent means and civil war. Slavery was abolished through war. Women suffered the injustice of nonpolitical participation until the early days of the 20th century when, after much civil disobedience, they were finally granted the right to vote. American society is in a slowly evolving state where social injustices still occur. The collective American conscience is slowly realizing what we have all known in our collective subconscious which is that we are all aboard this ship of state as one crew working to bring our ship to safe harbors from the storms of injustices. We must forever be on guard against those who would alter our course.
War, once the last resort of a free and democratic republic, has become the paranoid purview of a professional military intricately woven within an electronically adapted intelligence community provided with political sponsorship and driven by corporate greed. Many citizens have observed, and a great many believe, that recent wars were the result of corporate interference in the affairs of government. Corporations are owned and managed by shareholders. They are ventures driven by the acquisition of profit. Therefore, corporate entities are either profitable ventures or failures. If the latter, corporations either go into legal bankruptcy with an eye toward future profitability, or dissolution; leaving shareholders with a monetary loss.
The United States Supreme Court has given near citizen status to corporate entities. some of these entities engross themselves at the taxpayer's trough. This is not to say every corporation is greedy and hungry for taxpayers' dollars, but enough within the espionage-military-industrial complex (EMIC) are to alter the political landscape and assure their own agendas through highly paid lawyers, political action committees, lobbyists, and whatever other means are required. And not every corporation in America is involved in EMIC. But with the prevailing political winds blowing as they are, America's corporations are degrading the fabric of the nation to the detriment of the People.
America's corporations complain American workers are lazy and incapable. They demand special H1B visas to bring in talented and better educated foreigners to fill positions they claim Americans don't want or are unable to perform. Ironically, most of these foreigners receive their educations in America's universities. This, I posit, is simply a ruse to lower salaries paid to American workers insuring greater profits and higher bonuses paid to CEOs and CFOs and boards of directors. America's corporations demanded and received many tax concessions to place their establishments in certain locales-following the Japanese model when building automobile assembly plants which in turn followed Henry Ford's desire to build in the jungles of Brazil his concept of a company run town. America's employers call American workers lazy, but the data just doesn't support that contention. Many of America's workers have been forced to work two and sometimes three part-time jobs to make ends meet. America's politicians have successfully divided the nation so that any protections once afforded America's workers by unions have been degraded. Unions are not the panacea some once believed they would be, but they have provided a counterbalance to those that choose to exploit workers. Wages have been kept stagnant. Hours worked have increased. Corporate profits have increased. Prices for goods, food, energy, and other necessities have increased-all to the detriment of the American worker. Drug usage (some believe to have CIA origins in some instances) and drug lords and gangs have helped to degrade the capacity of American youth to perform responsibly. Instead of treatment programs and decriminalization, our politicians offer jail as a cure-all thereby increasing the profits of for profit prisons located in their states. Yes, profit is good, and without it this capitalist society would find it difficult to function-though not impossible. 'An honest day's pay for an honest day's work' has been substituted for 'me first; I deserve more than you.'
Lastly, the Fourth of July, our nation's birthday has been degraded into a whiz bang day off for some, but a most profitable day for corporate retailers such as Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Lowes, and others who have displaced so many mom and pop businesses and don't care how little their workers earn or even if they can get by on their meager wages so long as their CEOs get their bonuses. Sure, an investor wants a decent return on whatever amount they've invested in a company, but that is a gamble as sure as a spin of the roulette wheel in a Vegas casino. An honest return should not prohibit an honest investment. The game is not how many toys a person can accumulate, or how many others one can dominate economically, but how can a personal legacy be seen as contributory to the common good. What is not and should not be a gamble is how we Americans should celebrate our nation's birthday. I for one believe that all businesses should be closed for this one day of the year. Think of the smog that would be curtailed. Think of the families that might be brought together. Think of the child that might read a book. Think of the energy that could be saved. Yes, some essential services must be maintained, but America needs and deserves our total respect without the corporate degradation so many of our holidays have had to suffer through.
During the early decades of the 19th century, textile mill towns such as Lowell, Massachusetts attempted to become utopian, industrially-driven societies centered about mill factories. Factory owners considered themselves benevolent controllers of both industry and society. But once these mill societies were established, the women drawn from rural homes to these industrial towns found the owners to be far less than benevolent. They soon rejected the subservient role the owners placed them in. To end or to affect meaningful changes to this situation, the women resorted to strikes at first, and then through political actions protested both working conditions and employer policies. Oftentimes, these brave women were brutally countered.
As the nation progressed, it went through social changes-some peacefully attained; others through violent means and civil war. Slavery was abolished through war. Women suffered the injustice of nonpolitical participation until the early days of the 20th century when, after much civil disobedience, they were finally granted the right to vote. American society is in a slowly evolving state where social injustices still occur. The collective American conscience is slowly realizing what we have all known in our collective subconscious which is that we are all aboard this ship of state as one crew working to bring our ship to safe harbors from the storms of injustices. We must forever be on guard against those who would alter our course.
War, once the last resort of a free and democratic republic, has become the paranoid purview of a professional military intricately woven within an electronically adapted intelligence community provided with political sponsorship and driven by corporate greed. Many citizens have observed, and a great many believe, that recent wars were the result of corporate interference in the affairs of government. Corporations are owned and managed by shareholders. They are ventures driven by the acquisition of profit. Therefore, corporate entities are either profitable ventures or failures. If the latter, corporations either go into legal bankruptcy with an eye toward future profitability, or dissolution; leaving shareholders with a monetary loss.
The United States Supreme Court has given near citizen status to corporate entities. some of these entities engross themselves at the taxpayer's trough. This is not to say every corporation is greedy and hungry for taxpayers' dollars, but enough within the espionage-military-industrial complex (EMIC) are to alter the political landscape and assure their own agendas through highly paid lawyers, political action committees, lobbyists, and whatever other means are required. And not every corporation in America is involved in EMIC. But with the prevailing political winds blowing as they are, America's corporations are degrading the fabric of the nation to the detriment of the People.
America's corporations complain American workers are lazy and incapable. They demand special H1B visas to bring in talented and better educated foreigners to fill positions they claim Americans don't want or are unable to perform. Ironically, most of these foreigners receive their educations in America's universities. This, I posit, is simply a ruse to lower salaries paid to American workers insuring greater profits and higher bonuses paid to CEOs and CFOs and boards of directors. America's corporations demanded and received many tax concessions to place their establishments in certain locales-following the Japanese model when building automobile assembly plants which in turn followed Henry Ford's desire to build in the jungles of Brazil his concept of a company run town. America's employers call American workers lazy, but the data just doesn't support that contention. Many of America's workers have been forced to work two and sometimes three part-time jobs to make ends meet. America's politicians have successfully divided the nation so that any protections once afforded America's workers by unions have been degraded. Unions are not the panacea some once believed they would be, but they have provided a counterbalance to those that choose to exploit workers. Wages have been kept stagnant. Hours worked have increased. Corporate profits have increased. Prices for goods, food, energy, and other necessities have increased-all to the detriment of the American worker. Drug usage (some believe to have CIA origins in some instances) and drug lords and gangs have helped to degrade the capacity of American youth to perform responsibly. Instead of treatment programs and decriminalization, our politicians offer jail as a cure-all thereby increasing the profits of for profit prisons located in their states. Yes, profit is good, and without it this capitalist society would find it difficult to function-though not impossible. 'An honest day's pay for an honest day's work' has been substituted for 'me first; I deserve more than you.'
Lastly, the Fourth of July, our nation's birthday has been degraded into a whiz bang day off for some, but a most profitable day for corporate retailers such as Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Lowes, and others who have displaced so many mom and pop businesses and don't care how little their workers earn or even if they can get by on their meager wages so long as their CEOs get their bonuses. Sure, an investor wants a decent return on whatever amount they've invested in a company, but that is a gamble as sure as a spin of the roulette wheel in a Vegas casino. An honest return should not prohibit an honest investment. The game is not how many toys a person can accumulate, or how many others one can dominate economically, but how can a personal legacy be seen as contributory to the common good. What is not and should not be a gamble is how we Americans should celebrate our nation's birthday. I for one believe that all businesses should be closed for this one day of the year. Think of the smog that would be curtailed. Think of the families that might be brought together. Think of the child that might read a book. Think of the energy that could be saved. Yes, some essential services must be maintained, but America needs and deserves our total respect without the corporate degradation so many of our holidays have had to suffer through.
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